What Just Happened to the Dinosaur Tree of Life?

Last week, a study published in the journal Nature suggested that it may be time to rethink the dinosaur tree of life and revisit the relationships between between sauropod (think The Titanosaur), theropod (T. rex, for instance), and ornithischian (Triceratops and others) dinosaurs.

The paper made waves among paleontologists and the popular press. But what does this potential shakeup mean for the field? We asked Danny Barta, a Ph.D. student in paleontology at the Museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School, to break down how the study was conducted, what it might mean, and what avenues for research it opens.

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